by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park

Crete, IL — After winning the Filly Orange & Blue in 2008 and the Grandma Ann Championship in 2009, Engel and Rucker Stables’ Fox Valley Topaz will look to become the first horse in history to win three different Super Night Championships in three consecutive years when she squares off against nine rivals in Saturday night’s (Sept. 18) $115,000 Lorna Propes Championship at Balmoral Park.

Despite a fifth place finish in her elimination effort last week and an 0 for 18 record coming into this final, trainer Paul Stafford is still optimistic that the 4-year-old daughter of Sportsmaster will have a chance to put her name in the record books.

“She’s spent the majority of the year knocking heads with the best mares in the country on the east coast week after week,” explained Stafford. “So even though she’s going in 1:50 or 1:51 she’s not winning races and that can start to be tough on a horse, especially a mare.”

In last year’s Grandma Ann, Fox Valley Topaz rallied from mid-pack to win by a length in a career best of 1:51.4 for driver Mike Oosting who elected to take the morning line favorite Native Hotspur in Saturday night’s event.

Despite the fact that Balmoral’s leading driver opted off Fox Valley Topaz, Stafford remained optimistic about his mare’s chances on Saturday night.

“She’s made $812,958 and she’s only a 4-year-old,” said Stafford. “That should tell you something about how good she is and the caliber of competition she’s taken on throughout her career. It may look like sort of an even effort that she turned in last week but I was very pleased by it and she’s always stepped it up on the big stage here on Super Night.”

If she can do it again fans will be treated to history!

Star studded cast assembled for Maurello Championship

A field of 10 of the top older pacers in the Prairie State will slug it out in Saturday night’s $115,000 Tony Maurello Stake. Named in honor of Mr. Super Night himself these veterans bring a combined bankroll of nearly $3.2 million into the contest.

Engel Stables’ Mucho Sleazy was a game winner in his elimination last week and the defending champion in this event will be looking for his third Super Night title in a row.

“Last year’s victory came over many of these same horses and it was really something to see,” commented trainer Paul Stafford. “Despite having the 10 hole and still being seventh when they turned for home he managed to get there in the final strides to beat the heavy favorite (Martha Maxine) that night.”

With 90 lifetime starts and a record of 20-20-13, this 5-year-old son of Sportsmaster is the leading money winner in the field with earnings of $890,296.

Rosebud Stable and Michael McNeely’s Thisbigdogwilfight always lives up to his name and this 7-year-old gelding figures to be in the thick of things every step of the way. Sporting a record of 10 wins, one second and three thirds in 16 starts this year the Jim Eaton trained son of The Big Dog has shown no signs of slowing down as he’s put up a sub-1:50 mark in each of his last three seasons and now boasts 45 career victories.

“Each time this horse sets foot on the track you can just see how much he loves to race,” said driver Todd Warren who has been handling the driving duties of late. “He’s as strong as a bull and if he gets to the front and gets a little breather anywhere along the way he’s awfully tough to catch no matter who’s chasing him.”

Booze Cruzin captured this event back in 2008 and the pride of trainer Joe Seekman and the Broekhuis Stables still owns the stakes record of 1:49.2 for this race.

Splitting time between Illinois and several east coast tracks over the past few seasons the 6-year-old son of Art’s Conquest has racked up 29 victories and $793,779 in earnings during his illustrious career.